Here's a look at new Los Angeles eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this spring. The new and renovated Los Angeles venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Restaurateur David Chang expanded his Momofuku empire to the West Coast with the January opening of MajordĹŤmo. Located in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse space on the outskirts of Chinatown, the restaurant was designed by Momofuku in collaboration with DesignAgency, and features eye-catching artwork from artists James Jean, Adam Field, and David Choe. Warm walnut tables, a semi-open kitchen, and a ceiling of angled corrugated steel add to the industrial-yet-elegant vibe. A private dining room seats 40 or holds 60 for receptions, while a patio seats 80 or holds 130 for receptions. The entire venue can seat 190 or hold 300 for receptions. The California-focused cuisine comes from executive chef Jude Parra-Sickels.
Sydell Group's long-anticipated NoMad Los Angeles opened in late January. Located in the historic Giannini Place building downtown, the 241-room hotel is designed by Jacques Garcia and features the first West Coast restaurant from chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara (the team behind the NoMad New York City and the restaurant Eleven Madison Park). The property offers 10,000 square feet of event space, including a 5,178-square-foot rooftop that holds 450, a 2,375-square-foot mezzanine restaurant that seats 100 or holds 275 for receptions, and a suite that holds 30. There are also two private dining rooms, a coffee bar, and more.
Acclaimed pastry chef Dominique Ansel opened his first full-service restaurant in Los Angeles in November. 189 by Dominique Ansel is located on the second floor of the Grove and features a light, airy design by Studio Unltd and a ceiling installation made of baby's breath flowers created by set designer Kelly Sheridan. The restaurant seats 150, including indoor and outdoor terrace seating; a private dining room has its own terrace. Downstairs is the first West Coast location of Dominique Ansel Bakery; it offers open café seating for 70.
La Peer Hotel opened in West Hollywood’s design district in mid-January. The 105-room Kimpton property features a design by Gulla Jónsdóttir, with earth tones, natural materials, custom furniture, and hand-selected paintings and photography. The hotel has more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining and lounge spaces, including Viale dei Romani, a new trattoria by chef Casey Lane that can accommodate 25 guests for private dining. There is also a 16-seat boardroom; a 3,900-square-foot rooftop terrace that holds 200; and the Drawing Room, a 1,000-square-foot space that seats 80 or holds 125 when combined with its outdoor terrace.
A new standalone dining concept from Azumi Ltd. opened in the Arts District in late December. Inko Nito is a casual Japanese eatery from Rainer Becker, the co-funder of Zuma restaurants. The space serves a diverse menu of robatayaki—a Japanese method of cooking involving skewers grilled over charcoal—plus handcrafted cocktails, wine, beer, and sake. The restaurant seats 124 people in a clean, airy space with oak furniture and custom-glazed handmade tiles. The venue also features an open robata grill and a plant-lined outdoor terrace.
The owners of Spotted Pig in New York opened their long-anticipated Los Angeles restaurant in December. The Hearth & Hound—which offers a Southern California produce-driven menu and a wine list curated by former Beastie Boys member Mike Diamond—seats 100. The indoor space has wooden beans, skylights, a private dining room, and an open kitchen. A patio space, which seats an additional 100, houses a century-old olive tree.Â
Located on the Sunset Strip, 3 Chords is a new fitness, music, and event space that opened in December. The venue is part yoga studio and part recording studio, and features a listening area, a retail space, and an on-tap kombucha bar. The venue holds as many as 75 people for receptions, or fewer for group workouts.
Open since November in Highland Park is Côté Est, a casual French bistro from the owners of Barbrix in Silver Lake and All’Acqua in Atwater Village. The menu changes daily and is inspired by the current bistronomie movement in Paris. The restaurant seats 200 or holds 350 for receptions, while a back patio holds as many as 70 for private events.
Santa Monica Mexican restaurant Tallula’s, which opened in May, unveiled a private dining room in November. The second-floor space has blonde wood floors, a large communal table, and white walls, as well as a private bar. The colorful room seats 32 or holds 50 for receptions. Tallula’s is the latest restaurant from Josh Loeb, Zoe Nathan, and chef Jeremy Fox.
The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills debuted an $11 million renovation in January, which redid the on-site restaurant and the event-friendly roof deck. The sleek new London Bar was added; it has clean marble details and a large skylight, and sits adjacent to the renovated Boxwood restaurant. Richmond International transformed the restaurant to create a more open space for gatherings; the venue holds as many as 250 for private receptions. Meanwhile, AKA Design transformed the rooftop pool deck, emphasizing the panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills in an English garden-like setting. The open-air space holds 300 for receptions.
